"Android's true target isn't the 19 percent of phones running OSs, like BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Mac OS. It's the other 81 percent of phones, which aren't smartphones and run operating systems you've never heard of like Nucleus and P2K. This large part of the market we call feature phones has become more and more powerful, hardware-wise, over the past few years. But these brawny handsets are still stuck with software stacks designed for the 20th century."

"We expect when the open source operating system releases, Android will be the playground for smart phones. If Google is good at anything beyond search and advertising, it’s catering to development. If you look beyond the carefully guarded secrets before launch, this is the one leg up Android has over the iPhone. Where Apple keeps contributing developers on a short leash, Google gives developers free reign.

What I also expect to see with mobile phones is what has been historically happening with desktop systems. Android looks to be the developer-centric and very powerful operating system that will run on practically anything...

One thing is for sure, the line between cell phone and desktop systems are now blurry — same with the mobile web versus the desktop web."

"G1 stands to become a more formidable competitor as it's picked up by other manufacturers as well. Motorola, LG and Samsung are expected to launch Android models worldwide in 2009. And their Android-based phones may look vastly different from each other and the G1. Europeans may get a slider with a 12-key keyboard that they favor. Japan may get a phone with built-in mobile TV. There could be special phones for doctors or for lawyers.

Big cell-phone carriers also will help determine the success of coming Android phones. "Android has the potential to be much bigger than Apple because they can have many more manufacturers making its products," says Chris Ambrosio, an analyst with consultancy Strategy Analytics."